Diversity of Soil Arthopod Species in Campus II UIN Antasari Banjarmasin

Abstract

Soil arthropods are fauna that play an important role in the recycling of nutrients through the decomposition process to maintain the natural structure of the soil. The presence of soil arthropods in an area is influenced by environmental factors such as soil conditions, temperature, humidity and others. Campus II of UIN Antasari Banjarmasin has a combination of land characteristics, namely open land and green land that has the potential to become a habitat for soil arthropods. The unavailability of data on the existence of soil arthropods in the campus II area of UIN Antasari Banjarmasin requires the need to conduct research to identify species and assess the level of diversity of soil arthropod animals in order to add scientific treasures and support learning materials. This study uses the trap method (Pitfall trap) with a purposive sampling technique, which is deliberate sampling based on the environmental conditions in the field. The results of this study found 85 individuals of soil arthropods consisting of 26 species from five classes with the class Insecta being the dominant class. The environmental conditions at the research site support the existence of soil arthropods. This can be seen from the results of measuring the average temperature of 21.5ºC and the pH of the soil ranging from 6-7. Based on the calculation of the Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index, the value of H' > 1. This indicates that the diversity of soil arthropods in the Campus II area of UIN Antasari Banjarmasin is in the medium category. These findings provide a scientific basis for the sustainable management and conservation of soil ecosystems.